In many organizations there is no strategy manager, no strategic plan, no milestones, no release point. The "strategy" is a vague, misunderstood, half-baked set of hopes on the part of a desperate CEO or department head.

Strategy is itself critical "software", worthy of your greatest design expertise. It has form, features, usability, requirements and performance. Making great strategy takes focused time. Without a strategy, work is an endless series of fires, worries, reactions, and miscommunication.

Does your organization invest deeply in strategy? Do you regularly check out assumptions about your market and business? Has your team become hyper aware of the data coming back from the market?